We Remain Together
by WayLowHalo
Summary: Niklaus's moments of lucidity were few and far between and Elijah couldn't help but wonder, as he had wondered for the greater part of the last forty odd years, how much any one mind could reasonably be expected to take before it snapped completely. (In the 11th century Klaus suffered under the hunter's curse for 52 years, 4 months and 9 days. This is one of those days.)


_A/N: So I considered posting this in TVD community since this, technically, is an incident that was mentioned only in TVD and there has been no reference to it in _TO_ but... it just didn't feel right. So. Here it is. _

_Enjoy!_

**_Disclaimer:_**_The Originals does not now and probably never will belong to me. I'm just borrowing a couple of the characters for a bit._

**We Remain Together**

Niklaus was exhausted. He had spent much of the last four days screaming and railing against foes that only he could see and now he was collapsed in his bed. Elijah doubted his brother would be capable of movement even if he were so inclined.

Still. It wasn't a restful sleep. It seemed the hunter's curse didn't let up even if Niklaus's body had reached its breaking point.

Sitting at his brother's bedside Elijah sighed. Niklaus had done some horrible things in his time, there was no denying that, but somehow he couldn't bring himself to believe that his little brother deserved _this_. This constant torment.

Niklaus's moments of lucidity were few and far between and Elijah couldn't help but wonder, as he had wondered for the greater part of the last forty odd years, how much any one mind could reasonably be expected to take before it snapped completely. And, also as he had done for much of the last four decades, he tried his best to push down the fear that Niklaus's mind had already reached its breaking point. And surpassed it.

The fear that there were some things even his brother couldn't bounce back from.

_No._

Niklaus was still in there somewhere. He had to hold on to that hope because without it what did he have? Without it, how would he keep Rebekah and himself from falling apart? And Niklaus. How would he keep Niklaus safe from their father, who even now was out there somewhere searching for them?

So he had to believe that Niklaus would be okay. He had to. There was no other option. His brother would get through this. Somehow. Some way. He had to.

"'Lijah, please," Niklaus whimpered now, his eyes closed, his brow sweaty and feverish as he tossed and turned.

"I'm right here, Niklaus," Elijah murmured, leaning forward, but his brother's agitation only increased.

"You promised me," Niklaus whispered, his voice raw and ragged and pleading and Elijah's heart clenched. "Why do you say these things to me? Please, brother, you promised. I'll do better!"

"Niklaus, snap out of it, brother," Elijah murmured, standing and putting his hands to the sides of his younger brother's face, trying to get him to open his eyes. To _see_.

This was, in his opinion, the worst part of the curse. From what Elijah could gather, most of the time when Niklaus was seeing things that weren't really there it was their father he saw. Mikael, tormenting him in his delusions just as he always had in life, and though Elijah knew seeing Mikael in any form terrified his brother far more than Niklaus would ever care to admit it was still... expected.

Mikael had always meant fear for Niklaus. Fear and anger and pain. And helplessness. And the curse fed on that.

Sometimes though, Niklaus didn't seem to see Mikael at all. Sometimes, like now, his voice would shift from scared and fearful to raw and desperate and _hurt_ and Elijah had come to realize that the curse was supplying his brother with visions of the rest of their family as well. Of Finn and Kol sometimes. Of their mother. Henrik. Rebekah. Of himself. Saying things that he would never say in reality. Preying on Niklaus's insecurities.

And Niklaus would beg him to stop, would beg him to remember his promise, and Elijah's heart would break because he had only ever made Niklaus one promise that could possibly cause his brother this specific form of agony if broken. One promise, and curse or no how could Niklaus ever think he could turn his back on it? On _him_?

He was well aware he hadn't always protected Niklaus when he should have; it was the one enduring guilt that he had never been able to rid himself of. The one regret he had never been able to shed. It had never stopped Niklaus from looking up to him though. He knew that. Niklaus didn't have to put it into words, didn't have to admit it. Elijah knew. Knew that Niklaus saw him as a source of safety. Of love.

The two things that Niklaus had always wanted most.

And the two things that he had always been the most afraid to accept.

And Elijah hated that the curse was using that against his little brother. Hated that it was using _him_ against his brother.

"'Lijah, help me," Niklaus begged now, a sob emitting from what would be a raw and torn throat if not for vampire healing. "Please, brother, help."

"Niklaus, open your eyes," Elijah said desperately, aware that he was begging now himself but unable to help it. He had recognized the tone in Niklaus's voice.

_Defeat._

"Niklaus, I am _right here_. I've got you. I am not going anywhere. Please, brother, _open your eyes_."

"Elijah," Niklaus whispered, whimpering and turning his head toward his older brother's voice and Elijah's heart leapt into his throat.

For too long now both he and Rebekah had been unable to get through to Niklaus at all, unable to break through the wall of delusions the curse had been showering him with.

"Niklaus, open your eyes. Look at me, brother."

And he did. All at once Niklaus was looking at him and Elijah was sure he was actually _seeing _him. His hands still on either side of Niklaus's face Elijah didn't move, afraid to break the spell.

"Big brother?"

Elijah's breath hitched in his throat and he reflected that after all these years of seeing what the curse was doing to Niklaus, what it was reducing him to, the vulnerability he heard in his younger brother's voice should stop coming as a surprise to him but it just didn't. It never got any easier to see his little brother, whose strength Elijah had always admired, so scared and lost and fragile.

"I'm here, Niklaus," he said again and Niklaus's face crumpled into tears.

"Don't go," he begged.

"I am not going anywhere, brother," Elijah assured him.

"You said I was poison," Niklaus whispered.

"No," Elijah said firmly. "That was not me, Niklaus. I would never say that. I will never turn my back on you. That was the curse trying to trick you."

"The curse," Niklaus murmured and Elijah rejoiced at the clearness he saw in his brother's eyes.

The clearness that would fade all too quickly, he knew.

The clearness that was already starting to slip away...

"You said... you said I would kill Rebekah... that I would kill you," Niklaus whispered, his voice trembling and the focus of his eyes shifting, changing.

"No, that won't happen, brother," Elijah insisted, shoving aside his own doubt, his own insecurities. Forty years he had spent, battling his brother's insanity and sometimes... sometimes he wondered if he was losing his own sanity in the process. Niklaus needed him though and that was what was important. That was what mattered.

"Father," Niklaus breathed, his eyes wide and scared, and, Elijah was fairly certain, not seeing him anymore. Still...

"Father is not here, Niklaus. Listen to my voice, _I_ am here. _Not_ Father. You are safe."

Wearily Elijah sat on his brother's bed and leaned against the headboard, not sure if his words were helping or not but... he had to try. He had to do _something_.

He knew he had made the right choice when Niklaus shifted on the bed and wrapped his arm around Elijah's waist, burying his head in his older brother's stomach, trembling, and in response Elijah wrapped a comforting arm around him.

There were moments, lapses in time, when Niklaus appeared to be more aware of his and Rebekah's presence. When he appeared more aware that they were there, and taking care of him. Keeping him safe. It was these moments, Elijah thought, that kept himself and their sister sane. It was also these moments that made it all the more difficult when Niklaus inevitably slipped beyond their reach again.

Niklaus whimpered into his stomach, tightening his grip, and Elijah ran a gentle hand through his brother's tangled blond curls, murmuring senseless, soothing sounds.

The position was reminiscent of their childhood, of nights when Niklaus would wake from bad dreams and come crawling into his brother's bed and, were he of sounder mind, Niklaus would never allow it now, Elijah knew.

"I'm here, Niklaus. Always and forever," Elijah murmured and in his lap Niklaus sighed, his tremors stilling some.

_Always and forever._

Someday he would have his brother back. It was a promise he made to himself more out of habit now, then anything else. Someday.

For now though, he would offer what comfort he could and he would remain by his brother's side.

And when Niklaus slipped fully back into his delusions again Elijah would still be here.

Whether his brother knew it or not.

-**End**.


End file.
